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From
H. R. in Kentucky
Good Morning Mary: I
have been meaning to share this with you since last weekend,
but had not had the time to write. Last weekend was the second
in the KDA Snowbird series of Dressage shows this winter held
in Frankfort, KY. I had been working my good old boy, Oreo,
in prep for that, his one time this year to show. It snowed
Friday night, just a dusting, and it was cold and very windy.
Good thing the arena is enclosed and heated.
Oreo is almost 22 yoa, and usually a pretty calm boy, but does
get separation anxiety a lot at shows and clinics when separated
from his buddies. I get show anxiety, when my horse gets separation
anxiety. Sound like a prescription for fun, excitement, and
explosive spiraling? It can be. It has been. Enter the essential
oils. I remembered to put them on me, it is now my morning routine,
but left them inside, and headed for Frankfort. Oreo was great
around the stalls, with his best buddy next door. He got jumpy
(remember, it is a dressage show) when we moved away, however,
right on schedule. While in warm up, he began calling out to
his best friend, and anyone else who would listen.
However, it ended there. I had my act together. I was able to
remain calm, and relaxed, focused and on track. Now Oreo is
not a great dressage horse. He is an old eventer, with several
injuries and almost no impulsion unless I tap him with the whip
with every other stride. When you do that, he looks off, because
he gets jumpy (remember , it is a dressage show) and he looks
uneven. However, he did quite well. Came in 4th place in one
class, 7th in another. But the important thing was the clarity
in my head. I got remarks like, "Excellent geometry" "Well ridden",
and "Very Accurate Test". That was my goal. My head stayed in
the game. Essential Oils? Maybe. Me learning to ride dressage
tests better? Maybe. Combination of many things? Probably. But
the only thing I changed since my last show was the Oils. Interesting
- No?
Hope your hands are staying warm and you are getting to ride
often.
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